Amoebic dysentery

Recent Amoeba runs (two this past weekend alone (1)) have been successful. Though the store's recent reorganization continues to provide surprises and challenges -- listening stations waiting to be activated! J-Pop exiled to Never Never Land! so that's where they stuck Matmos! -- the primary Mission was Accomplished, as our Dear Leader might say.

Bang on a Can has been releasing records on their own label, Cantaloupe, for a few years now, but out of sheer laziness I haven't gotten around to checking them out. But after hearing a compelling piece by Julia Wolfe (a BoaC founder) at the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Santa Cruz on Friday (2), I was inspired to go buy some records. I am forced to admit, however, that this is not an exceptional response.

As usual, Amoeba did not disappoint, with 5 Cantaloupe albums available used. The first one to enter rotation on the Device is Phil Kline's Zippo Songs. Two song cycles: the first, settings of some of Donald Rumsfeld's bizarre utterances during Pentagon briefings; the second, lighter poems. That is, poems on lighters:

I read a story about the poems that American GIs inscribed on their lighters in Viet Nam. ... Of course, a poem on the side of a lighter can only be so long, two or three lines.... My solution was to group them by theme. -Phil Kline

One of the song texts reads, in part:

YEA THOUGH I WALK
THROUGH THE VALLEY OF
THE SHADOW OF DEATH
I FEAR NO EVIL FOR
I'M THE EVILEST SON OF
A BITCH IN THE VALLEY
...
LET ME WIN YOUR
HEART AND MIND
OR I'LL BURN
YOUR HUT DOWN

(1) 1st trip was straightforward, parked gratis in Kezar lot without incident, gracias Amoeba. 2nd trip, stymied by the dreaded 'Special Event' sign! Forced to park way uphill on Willard off Frederick, behind Russian woman with "half-caste" child, who had to be convinced to move car forward so I could fit into spot.

(2) Expected to find a parking lot, but was surprised to discover lot blocked by music festival food booths! Luckily found metered parking easily, and even happened to pass by the meter at an opportune moment to feed it, with Mmes W- and C- looking on.